US sends thousands of Marines and three warships to Middle East – WSJ

FXStreetMar 20, 2026 2:04 PM

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Citing officials, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that the Pentagon is sending roughly "2,200 to 2,500 Marines from the California-based USS Boxer amphibious ready group and 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit," to the Middle East, alongside three warships.

Market reaction

Markets remain risk-averse following this headline. At the time of press, the Nasdaq Composite was down 1.2% on the day, while the S&P 500 was losing about 0.8%.

In the meantime, the US Dollar Index clings to small daily gains above 99.60 but remains on track to end the week in negative territory.

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